National Archives and Nixon Foundation to Host Program on Combating Organized Crime

WASHINGTON, June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

What: Richard Nixon Legacy Forum: Combating Organized Crime in the Nixon Era

When: Monday, June 13, 2011

Where: The University Club, 1135 16th St. N.W., Washington, D.C.

Free and open to the public

A noted team of Nixon era Justice Department officials, Congressional counselors, and White House advisers will discuss how the Nixon administration combated organized crime and brought substantial, lasting changes to the American criminal justice system.

Organized crime permeated America's largest cities by the early 1960s. By the late 1960s, Richard Nixon campaigned as a law and order president and upon taking the Oath of Office worked with a Democratic Congress to enact sweeping legislation, which would create the necessary tools to defeat organized crime.

The 13th in a series of Richard Nixon Legacy Forums co-sponsored by the Richard Nixon Foundation and the National Archives and Records Administration, will also feature opening remarks by the 10th Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero.

Panelists will include:

G. Robert Blakey

Mr. Blakey began his legal career as a Special Attorney in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Department of Justice in 1960. He was chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures under Senator John McClellan (1969-1973) and later of the House Select Committee on Assassinations under Rep. Louis Stokes (1977-78). He taught at Cornell Law School (1973-1980) before assuming his present teaching position at Notre Dame Law School in 1980.

Wallace H. Johnson

Mr. Johnson also began his legal career with the Department of Justice, but as a member of the Organized Crime Strike Force in Miami. He was Minority Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Criminal Laws and Procedures under Ranking Minority Member, Senator Roman Hruska. He became Associate Deputy Attorney General in 1970 and joined the White House Congressional Relations Office in 1971 as Special Assistant to President Nixon. He also served as Assistant Attorney General of the Lands and Natural Resources Division (1972-1975). He is now an attorney in private practice in Wyoming.

Geoffrey C. Shepard

Mr. Shepard was a White House Fellow at the Department of the Treasury (1969-1970). He then joined the Domestic Council at the White House as Staff Assistant to the President (1970-1972) and then as Associate Director for General Government (1972-1975). He has been an attorney in the insurance industry for over three decades.

Richard W. Velde

Mr. Velde was Minority Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Juvenile Delinquency (1965-1969) and then headed the newly formed Law Enforcement Assistance Administration at the Department of Justice, first as Associate Administrator (1969-1973), Deputy Administrator (1973-1974) and Administrator (1974-1977). He later was Minority Counsel of the Senate Judiciary Committee (1978-1981) and then Chief Counsel of that Committee's Courts Subcommittee (198101983). He is now an attorney in private practice in Virginia.

The Richard Nixon Foundation, a not-for-profit organization at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, 18001 Yorba Linda Blvd., Yorba Linda. Open daily 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sundays 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. For more information about events or exhibits, please call (714) 993-5075 or visit the Foundation online at www.nixonfoundation.org

FOR COVERAGE OPPORTUNITIES: Contact Jonathan Movroydis at (714) 364-1126 or email at [email protected]

SOURCE Richard Nixon Foundation

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